


DTR

by dementorsatemysoup



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew Talks About His Feelings, Andrew's Eyes Are Expressive Okay, Defining the Relationship, Established Relationship, I Am Never Letting That Headcanon Go, Kinda, M/M, Neil is a Little Shit, Post-Canon, Some Fluff, Some Swearing, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25294981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dementorsatemysoup/pseuds/dementorsatemysoup
Summary: Andrew was different. In so many ways. He had hard edges and damn near titanium walls built up around him, but slowly Neil had been hammering away at them.And sometimes Andrew handed him the hammer.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 8
Kudos: 217





	DTR

**Author's Note:**

> anonymous asked: Okay so here's a prompt, if you're interested: Andrew keeps insisting it's 'nothing' right? So now Neil is hell bent on making him admit that it isn't, so he's trying various things to do so, including making him jealous. (aaaahhh jealous Andrew)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this and thank you for reading :D

When Neil was 14 there was this girl in his history class. She had red hair, blue eyes, a spattering of freckles across her face, and wore a pair of glasses that always slid to the edge of her nose. He had liked her, a lot, but he never tried to talk to her because his mother had warned him about distractions. And this girl, despite Neil’s little crush, was a distraction.

Four years later, he found himself in the same boat, but with a boy. A boy with blond hair, expressive hazel eyes that showed how he was feeling despite his perfectly crafted masks of apathy, and enough darkness in his past that he’d rather close himself off than ever let anyone hurt him again.

The difference between the girl in his history class and Andrew was Neil never had strong feelings for the girl. He barely remembered her name (Anna or Bree, something like that); she had been a passing crush.

Nothing more.

But Andrew.

Andrew was different. In so many ways. He had hard edges and damn near titanium walls built up around him, but slowly Neil had been hammering away at them.

And sometimes Andrew handed him the hammer.

Andrew was worth the distraction, and had Neil met him during the time he’d been on the run he couldn’t say for sure if he’d have let his mother keep him away.

Neil knew what he felt for Andrew was real. There was _something_ there between them, a flickering flame that had the potential to grow into a full blown fire given the right amount of fuel, but the harder he tried to build that fire the more Andrew came along and blew it out like a dying candle.

He’d never expected much from Andrew. What he got was enough _because_ of who Andrew was as a person. He’d been dragged through hell and back growing up, worse than Neil (and Neil had seen his fair share of hell), the fact that he could give Neil anything was a miracle in itself.

It still would be nice to _hear_ Andrew admit they were dating. Even it was just to Neil.

It started because Dan introduced Andrew to her sisters as Neil’s boyfriend. A passing comment, an attempt to not call him some of the more _inaccurate_ nicknames they’d given him over the past two years, and Neil had been ready to just let it go, but Andrew.

Was Andrew.

“I’m nothing to him,” he’d said softly, arms crossed, scowling at Dan like she’d insulted his whole family.

“Fine, whatever,” she’d said, shaking her head, and immediately let it go before anything could escalate.

Neil wasn’t going to lie. It hurt a little. Not enough for him to say anything. Andrew wasn’t ever going to be the flowers and candy type, and if Neil were being honest he was no better, but he could have at least sulked quietly in the corner. He didn’t _need_ to say anything.

But Andrew was brutally honest, never caring whether someone liked him or not, and it really shouldn’t have bothered Neil as much as it did; wouldn’t have when they started their _thing._

He held his tongue the entire night, avoiding Andrew whenever he could but unable to ignore the eyes that tracked his every step. For someone who didn’t think they were anything, he certainly kept his attention focused on Neil.

It wasn’t until much later, when the others had gone to bed and Neil had followed Andrew onto the roof, that he finally said something.

“Nothing, huh?”

Andrew paused, his cigarette halfway to his lips. He spared Neil a passive look before taking a long drag on it. He blew smoke in Neil’s face and shrugged.

“It’s the truth,” he said softly, his hand inching towards Neil’s.

“Yeah,” Neil responded pulling his hand away. He caught the way Andrew’s eyebrows furrowed just a little, knew he’d be frowning if he were anyone else, and Neil felt triumphant. “So, since we’re nothing, you wouldn’t mind if I started hanging out with other people?”

A flash of anger flickered in Andrew’s eyes, but he huffed and looked away, dragging in another lungful of smoke. He blew it into the air, shrugging again. “What’s it matter to me?”

“Nothing, I guess,” Neil said softly, picking at his cuticles. “Like me.” He gave Andrew a bitter smile and mocked his shrug. “One of Katelyn’s friends tried to give me her number once.”

Andrew’s hand curled into a fist but his face remained unreadable when he said, “I’m not going to play your little game.”

“And what game is that?”

Andrew ignored Neil, taking one final drag on his cigarette before he tossed it off the roof. He leaned back on his hands, blowing out a stream of smoke through his nose.

“Nicky could probably find me someone,” Neil pressed studying Andrew’s face closely, his jaw ticking as he ground his teeth. “You know, to hang out with, since we’re nothing and you won’t care.”

“I wouldn’t...” He was lying, his shoulders tensing, hands curled so tightly into fists that Neil was afraid his knuckle bones were about to bust through his skin. “Go do whatever the fuck you want, Josten.”

“Maybe I don’t want to,” Neil said softly, mirroring Andrew’s position. “Maybe I like sitting up here with you.”

“Maybe I don’t want you up here,” Andrew said sharply.

“Too bad.” Neil waited a beat before adding, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Andrew's jaw clenched as he glared at the sky. Neil thought he was done talking for the night, wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t say anything to him for the rest of the weekend, but he was surprised when Andrew sighed and said, “I cannot give you more than I’ve already given you.”

“I know,” Neil said softly.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Do you?”

“I have no illusions as to who you are, Andrew,” Neil said quietly, tilting his head so he could look at Andrew. “I just...” he shrugged. “We’re _something._ You and me. You might not want to admit it, and that’s perfectly fine, but we are. You get that, right?”

Andrew let out a frustrated breath through his nose, but otherwise didn’t respond.

“And while I wasn’t expecting you to throw flowers at my feet and praise the ground I walk on when Dan introduced you as my boyfriend. The least you could have done was said nothing.”

“I did...”

“Ha ha,” Neil said sarcastically. “Nevermind.”

Andrew sat up, pulling one knee up enough to rest his elbow on it, and turned to look at Neil. A moment passed followed by another and by the third Neil was starting to wonder if he should just go, but he stopped when Andrew gritted his teeth and said, “I don’t _want_ you to hang out with other people.”

“Like friends?” Neil asked and Andrew rolled his eyes. “Oh! You mean...?” he trailed off, nodding. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. I,” he gritted his teeth again, practically spitting out, “ _like_ having you around.” He sighed and added, “Sometimes.”

Neil stayed silent for a beat, watching as uncertainty flickered in Andrew’s eyes, but finally he said, “That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Pink crept across Andrew’s cheeks and he looked away, muttering, “Fuck you, Josten.”

“Andrew?”

He sighed. “What?”

“Can I kiss you?”

He sighed again but turned his head, leaning forward until their lips grazed. He brought his hand up, curling it around the back of Neil’s neck, and whispered, “What will you give me if I say yes?”

“Don’t ask questions you already know the answers to,” Neil responded and Andrew snorted softly. "That's attractive."

"Shut up, Neil."

"Make me."

Something wicked flickered in Andrew's eyes and he kissed him hard, effectively cutting off whatever else he had to say.

Neil buried his fingers into Andrew's hair, reveling in the kiss.

When they broke apart minutes later, they were both breathless. Andrew pressed his forehead to Neil's, his fingers gripping him tightly, and he murmured, "I _hate_ you."

"Liar."


End file.
